Awareness=Answers

It’s about time. Even though it is just a small step at this time,maybe something will finally come of all this. I hope more of the public is made aware of these young men “disappearing”. This site has really helped with that.
Still,my own parents think I’m crazy when I talk about these cases,not to mention my friends that I try to explain all this to…and I’m in FL so it’s not like Minnesota,or a few of the other states where this has been happening more frequently. It’s really not talked about here.
Everyday I check this site hoping to read something like this,but I have been thinking a lot about how the killer(s) are probably here visiting this site as well,maybe even a regular poster..maybe we even give them more ideas or give them more ways to play their word game,if in fact there is one.

Kristi and Jessa-
I was talking about these 3 missing in one week last night with my family and noticed that all 3 were missing from towns along I35 within one week. This cannot be a coincidence. None of the men have been recovered who went missing on my list from Dec and January yet. I pray that at least one will be found alive. I also pray that this will end before anyone else goes missing! Someone has to know something!

No it can’t be coincidence and I 35 also goes through Texas. It would sound crazy to someone that does not know as much Jessa. I noticed Zorro has often been a skeptic with pattern theories but he also knows less than I do so I don’t care what he thinks.

I’m glad that this issue has finally been given serious attention in outside law enforcement. I live in Iowa, work for the state, and I’m an Iowa State alumni. ISU is a fairly small university and a very tight knit college community. If, and that is a big IF, Jon is found in a similar manner to the other young men in question and with the death of Abel Bolanos still fresh in the mind of those involved in Ames I would be 95% sure that it would NOT be written off as an accidental drowning. This may be the incident that will bring the nations attention to this problem. I have been reviewing boards and comments about Jon’s disapperence for the past few days and there is an awareness by young people about the possible existance of a SFK(s) which gives me comfort that the are not blowing this off. I have also been told, 2nd hand info, that those involved in the investigation are very aware of the SFK theory. I guess we’ll see what happens and I’d be the first to hope that this is all a horrible set of coincidences but if the worst happens to the 3 young men this situation alone would warrant an investigation.

There should have been a red flag going up when Blatz and Skifton drowned in LaCrosse in 12 or fewer days apart.They only average about 1 drowning about every 16 months. Skifton was terrified of water. They did the same thing when the Atlanta killer took his first few victims. They claimed a young man that was afraid of heights went across a high bridge and fell off.

Adam,
I too, thought that Dan Zamlen’s drowning and the St Paul Police would have cracked the case of the SFK. Unfortunately, I was wrong. But we can still blog about the 136 victims and hope that justice will finally be served to the group of people doing this. Maybe Iowa police will have the honors of cracking it open. We can only hope and pray. In the meantime, keep your eyes and ears open – especially around water at night.

yep, these three cities are literally right of the interstate 35. i drive up and down that interstate every single day from one end to the other. I am a little scared that i could be traveling with members of this gang. and the order of these disappearances goes from north to south, in a perfect line. i hope this breaks this case open

I really think that the most we can hope for here is just some type of national recognition…by law enforcement. Typically a serial case, if this is one, isn’t going to be solved by some crack detective but more than likely it will be someone getting away or a trace of evidence will be found and linked to a victim. The step that is missing is within a short time period, which I believe is happening in Ames right now, LE treats the case as if foul play was involved. Unfortuantely they might not, probably won’t, find this evidence in Ames but with more awareness they may find it on the next one in WI, MN, ect. or a young man with situational awareness could get a key piece of information in the future just because someone somewhere warned him that this was a possibilty (SFK)of being taken by force. I really don’t believe that most every case here is linked and I also don’t take much stock in every smiley face being a key piece of evidence and I suspect that as more attention is paid to this case the smiley face will “suddenly” appear everywhere. I began follow this case by chance years before we had a drowning in Iowa and check back every 4-6 months. I have found in life that instinct should be followed and for that many victims families to know that “something about this situation doesn’t add up” should be given attention. The fact is these are not bloody violent deaths makes it difficult for most to notice and accidents do happen but the stats are starting to pile up and not addressing this issue is what is truly criminal. Also the people who know these young men often say it is uncharacteristic of them to act that way (i.e. Drinking heavily, being so incoherent, just takeing off, not asking for help) but with men it is written off as young drunken college kid being an idiot and so drunk he can’t work a phone, know which door to go in, lost his way. I went to college, I got pretty messed up on alchol, and I did dumb sh*t when I was drunk that I regret but these place were not unfimilar and me. My friends and I might have to worry about stumbling into a tree or bush but you know that a lake or river in the dead of winter is going to suck. My god if the kids were falling into oncoming traffic I could understand.

jbrown :Kristi and Jessa-I was talking about these 3 missing in one week last night with my family and noticed that all 3 were missing from towns along I35 within one week. This cannot be a coincidence. None of the men have been recovered who went missing on my list from Dec and January yet. I pray that at least one will be found alive. I also pray that this will end before anyone else goes missing! Someone has to know something!

I said the same thing in another topic. I 35 heads straight from TX to MN and Duluth.

Wow, I just realized Iowa State University is also on I 35. Some A hole is driving up and down the country causing havoc.

Blake McNeilly from Texas missing since Nov 08 was also near I 35.

This is a little off topic, but not really. This man Justin has been missing for some time now. He is or was a nurse and he was last seen at a coffee shop. His family says he was hanging with this man called “Mikey” and they do not know who he is.

This is the site: http://www.findjustin.org/

Here is the picture of the man that was called Mikey. If anyone in any part of the nation knows who this is or has ever seen him, PLEASE let Justin’s family know. They say Mikey said he was from Chicago, but was a vagabond much of his life: http://www.findjustin.org/

@Iowan I understand you are very angry, but be aware that families and friends of those who are missing read this site too. I took exception but you did not offend me- to the comment about hoping the killer(s) were molested as children and had horrible childhoods?

While you are entitled to your opinion and we all are OUTRAGED I assure you–you should not wish that on any human being. Your outburst doesn’t make you tougher or better, just weaker in the eyes of those who are looking to cause harm and get under your skin. Namely the people responsible for quite a few of these disappearances that fir the patterns we blog theorists have established.
Get it through your head, they are sick and Do not care, at any time of day, how anyone feels. Patience will win out over the killers. We have to be a little vigilant, more steadfast and more focused than they are. CHIN UP!

that FIT..not “fir” the patterns we blog theorists have established.blockquote>

I’m forty something years old. I went to Iowa State. I have a son at Iowa State right now. About a decade ago, when I first moved back to Iowa there was a story of a kid who left a party and disappeared. They ended up finding his body in a creek. I remember thinking at the time that he must have been really drunk to drown in that creek. It sounded so unlikely that it caught my attention. Then, when similar stories kept popping up, I thought it was beyond odd. As a young man, I did more than my share of partying and had friends who did the same. We did all the stupid high risk stuff, climbed water towers, hung out car windows, drag raced, drank til we passed out, etc. I do not remember ever hearing about guys going missing and then being found later in bodies of water. Is this a recent phenomenon? Someone has to have data on this stuff. Why mostly in the winter? If this is not a serial killer/s then what is the explanation for what seams to be so many deaths of this type?

@Ray

I have read exactly what you have just stated so often in comments made about these drownings. By people’s comments, it would appear to be a newer phenomenon but there must be data out there to answer this question. And on this site it says Gerald Nance of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children will be speaking about some of these drownings at the American Academy of Forensic Science later this month. NCMEC has analyzed the drowning cases so it will be interesting to see what they have to say.
What are the explanations for all these disappearances? It ranges from alcohol use, risky behavior leading to accidents (FBI), to a serial killer, a group of killers traveling the country (and Canada) to “cells” of killers living across the nation taking college-aged men (Smiley Faced Killer). Many people are aware something is going on, it’s hard to ignore, it’s just a matter of what they believe is happening.
If you check out some of the links on this site you’ll see all of the work Kristi (runs this site) and Bill (who lost his own son) are doing to get physical evidence and answers.
Sorry to get so long-winded here, but welcome to the site. Most of us here are hoping a task force will be created to look at these deaths. Often, the police rule them accidents the same day they recover the body. Really, many of us are just asking for these cases to be looked at
more closely. Some of these families have had to fight way too hard to get to the truth of what happened to their son/brother/nephew/grandson.

Before Jon disappeared I was aware that people randomly disappeared but have never thought too much about it. Once Jon disappeared it really opened my eyes to a lot of things. Even though I don’t know Jon it still affects me and makes me worried since I live on campus. Before I knew about the other two disappearing I had no idea what had happened but I would’ve never at the time thought of a serial killer(s). Then I heard about the other two and the way I feel about it is that there has to be a connection. Yeah people disappear but not usually within a couple days of each other and straight down an interstate. I was talking to a friend about it and he said that he had heard that some people are thinking that it could be connected with the Smiley Faced Killers. I had never heard of it so i went online and have been researching peoples efforts on finding out what is happening to all these college guys. And even though I’m not a guy it’s still unnerving that there could be someone out there killing these young men. It makes me worried for my boyfriend, friends, family who are guys in college. A girl in my residence hall was wondering last semester if there was a way to get more emergency phones around campus. I think this is a good reason why we should. I walk around campus all the time but I can’t think where a single one is though I know they are there. If I felt like I was in an emergency I would want to easily be able to find them. and there is a few cameras around campus but I’ve seen them before and there is a lot of area not covered. I really do hope something good comes out of this. The very best would be for Jon and the other guys to come home safely. but at least it is providing awareness as to how likely something like this is

My fiance was the ISU student that passed away in the 2005 accident. I have been following this website and I believe that his death is part of this entire deal, but have been unable to prove that his death was involved in these same smile face murders. RIP Jacob Hobson until this is all over I will not give up babe !!!! I love you always

I hope these young men are found safe. It doesn’t look good though. I will pray for all of them and their families. As my son went missing back in May of 2009 from ISU ( Indiana State) and was found several miles away in the Wabash River. Ruled an accidental drowning. I’m still trying to find out what really happened to him. I love you Jerry and will never give up trying.

Sara,
I have Jacob on my list of potential SFK victims. I am very sorry for your loss. I was wondering if you could tell me where and what time he was last seen. I have a lot of info for most victims but Jacob Hobson. Robin, your son definitely is on the list. I am also very sorry for your loss. We are hoping to research enough information so police can look into these cases as connected somehow. And homicides, not accidents/suicides. There is no doubt in my mind that someone is going around college campuses doing this to innocent people. Keep the faith and keep fighting for those who no longer have a voice. I want to see all 138 cases on my list through to the end.

There is a march planned for Sylvester McCurry who has been missing for nearly a month. It will start outside Stargate nightclub.

http://www.fox21online.com/news/march-planned-missing-teen-donation-fund-established-mother

they very well were all choosen for a reason.they most likely did use i-35.it takes some organizing to target 3-5 victims then execute the abduction in 3-5 different states.
they need to know alot of information before they strike to make sure they dont get caught and they need someone on the inside like a friend who is just a acter or someone who is near them that might not be a friend but is near them and can get access to there stuff.

i wanted to type 3-5 victims then execute abductions in3-5 states within a week-10 days.

I became aware of the problem of missing male college age drownings through the disappearence of the Iowan at ISU, Jonathan Lacina. Although he has not yet been found this was the first time I had ever read about possible foul play involved. Then I read about the other 2 males who went missing within days of the ISU student; the Petersen and Sylvester cases. After reading so many blogs and websites and comment pages about the various boys I cannot help but believe there is a connection. I honestly find it chilling. I am worried that there has not been sufficient concern raised among the college population to ward off future disapperances.
I am wondering if there is any sort of profile that exists for someone who would take/abduct possibly drug and drown young males. Who should they be looking out for? White middle aged males? Professional or blue collar worker; truck drivers?? At this point it anyone could be a suspect it seems…maybe I have seen too many movies but they usually seem to be able to come up with a pretty detailed profile of the kind of person that would be up to this type of activity. Thoughts???

I read a post on one website that mentioned the blatant sexism involved in these cases and the lack of investigation; writing them off as drunken careless self inflicted mishaps and I have to agree with that sentiment. If these were young women being found in rivers and disappearing under these circumstances with with so many similarities connecting them I think a lot more alarm would be raised but I guess society tends to think of young men as strong and capable of fending off attackers…I guess we’re just not prone to imagining young men falling prey as victims.
This really hits close to home as a mother of 3 young boys. I live in Iowa and know many kids who go to ISU. I hope a more thorough and PUBLIC investigation of these missing boys will be forthcoming, the lack of information is frustrating.
Let’s put Nancy Grace on this case!

Chris,
welcome. I would tell people to definitely watch out when you are at a bar or a party. Keep track of your drink and your surroundings at all times.

Monique777, Read 2/18 your message on killers use of scanners etc. I am here in LaCrosse, WI. Were Craig Meyers was found dead on Tuesday. After the last victim was found dead months went by and my gut reaction was that a person dressed as a policeman was responsible. I am not saying the police are involved, but someone who pretends to be a rescuer/a helper. Good investigative work!

Dan in Detriot, I looked for you ast Topix. You know we had another
body in the river.

From the beginning I`ve said that Gary McNeil is the killer. He seeks the record of the most kills and the name Zodiac. Compare the Michigan OCCK killings to Smiley Face. OCCK victims missing CROSS, St. Christopher medal and abducted St. Patricks Day. Smiley Face victims missing CROSSES, St. CHRISTPHER medals and St. PATRICK pins. OCCK victims abducted 4-14 days then murdered. Newest known facts Smiley face victims held hostage up to 2 weeks then murdered. Same M.O. Gary McNEIL`s on casino surveilance video at Steinkeoway`s murder!!! Gannon saw the video and agrees it`s a man Gary`s age with Steinkeoway!!!
Victims in LacROSSe, three victims in a row Wade Steffey party ROSS road, then ROSSini, then Jesse ROSS who was VIBE dj, then Homan at VIBE bar. 4 in a row connected. Yet FBI says it`s all our imagination. 5 victims things found at base Indian statue RIVERSIDE park, Getz 10-31-97 RIVERSIDE apartments, Meyers RIVERSIDE Center Building.

Dan in Detroit-Smiley Face thread-Jonbenet Ramsey Forum TOPIX.

OCCK victim ROBINson. Smiley Face FALCON, olBERDIng, PIKE, blue MARLIN, BURROws, HOSKIE, MARTIN, HERR, yellow MULE, hayDUK, GEESEy, HENS ley (eggs), JOHN scnicke, move the n=Johns CHICKEN. O
OCCK victims missing LINCOLN. Dozen Smiley Face victims linked to LINCOLN. Booth killed Lincoln. Robert Leigh missing Canada. Robert E. Lee fought Lincoln.
Killer Gary MCNEIL. Victim McNELIs, victim M KLINE, victim Patrick MCNEIL, possibly blake MCNEIL in desoto texas. Victims names match MONOPOLY. CHARLES, PURCHASE, CREDITON canada, luCASH oman, STATE Street, ATLANTIC division, 2 victims named BOLANOS, Shuman MOORE attended GRINNELL, Lacina from GRINNELL. These are not accidents. Gary McNeil is the killer. He lives in Michigan. SINSINIWA at murder. SINSINIWA written on michigan rock. He also claims to be the Cruise ship killer. A dozen victims feet left in sneakers along Cruise lines in Canada, England and Spain. He also claims to be Jonbenet Ramseys killer. How many victims died in RAMSEY COUNTY?????Gary`s lover died in CAMPBELL COUNTY. Smiley face victims named CAMPBELL, died in CAMPBELL, KAMBILi moukwa, jessiah jameson fort CAMPBELL. Dogs paw left in sneaker CAMPBELLsport canada.

I’m a student in the Midwest, living off the I-29 corridor. In this area there are lots of colleges, universities, and technical schools up and down the interstate from ND to Nebraska. There are also a lot of rivers, creeks, and lakes. We party, and some get pretty wasted, but no one ever ends up missing or drowned. Strange that it seems to be happening in the same states. To me that says something loud and clear, hopefully LE is getting finally hearing the message and looking into it.

This is a bizarre story, but it seems like it highlights how easily young men in bars can go missing. Googled missing men in iowa, minnesota, and wisconsin and came across this:

http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:8v_S0EEt80EJ:www.svtperformance.com/forums/road-side-pub-17/505139-real-life-horror-movie.html+What+started+as+a+frantic+search+for+a+23-year-old+missing+man+has+evolved+into+a+bizarre+tale+of+two+young+men+kidnapped+by+a+man+who+pretended+to+be+a+police+officer+and+chained+them+naked+in+his+basement+and+…&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Two other missing students that week — one in Savannah GA(armstrong atlantic university) January 31st 2010 Bryce Tarter http://www.bringbrycehome.com and Lester Jones Jan 11th Mississippi state

There appears to be a pretty straight line connecting these incidents. Unfortunately, this may also point to foul play and not necesarily a voluntary disappearance.

I have thought this might be the case with Eric Peterson. I know him and his parents. Eric was generally reliable and cheerful, and not at all likely to simply wander off leaving his essential belongings behind.

We all have computers these days. We e-mail each other around the globe. We can read the London times if we want to, or deal with companies across the country and around the world in an instant. Why is it that police departments aren’t linked? When these incidents occur, every police department in the country should be aware of them and dealing with them instead of going at it alone.